Wee Wooly Rabbit

Don't be afraid to be different

Little Bear

Whooo Meee?

"Little Golden Books" Kitty

Ellie & Friends ~ Vintage Pattern

Lucky Irish Rabbit

Nap Time Mouse

Friday, November 21, 2014

Just a little Winter Sale reminder for you. The following pieces will be available for adoption this Sunday in my Etsy store.Please email me with any questions.

Above is a teeny tiny mouse surrounded by woolly poinsettia leaves and cranberry's...sitting on a hand-stitched pincushion inserted into an old zinc canning jar lid. Below is a black spotted Mr. JinglesMouseon a hand-stitched pincushion.

A sweet Mouse with red woolly scarf on a hand-stitched pincushion dusted with snowy glass glitter.

Winter Blues Mouse on a star shaped pincushion with white headed applique pins stuck into the sides...ready to use for your next applique project.

Another Winter Blues Mouse on a flower petal shaped pincushion with white headed applique pins stuck into the sides...ready to use for your next applique project.

I am feeling good and am already thinking ahead to the new year...plans and dreams to design new characters...ARE YA TIRED OF SEEING MY MICE? I really want to try my hand at some other critters like squirrels and such.

Till then...I will be taking a wee break to visit with family...my father will be here for the first time in over 3 years (so excited) so I am busy fluffing my nest and such. Mom I love you so much and wish you could be here to but I know circumstances and health don't allow this...I love you MOM - XOXO! I will come visit you soon!

Monday, October 6, 2014

There are days when I sit frustrated at my desk because no new ideas are presenting themselves...the creative well feels like it's gone dry...and I feel like walking away and giving up.

Sometimes its good to walk away because the flow just isn't happening...but other times I just sit and be patient...

I tap my fingers on my desk...sigh a little...hold my head in my hands and say to myself..."What to do? What to do?"

I swivel my desk chair around and I gaze at all the things around me...stuff I've hoarded, supplies I have collected...things waiting to be made into something...surely there is inspiration in here somewhere.

I walk over and start pulling things out...ahhh this won't work...but maybe this will...

I make a little pile of possibility...some metal doughnut cutters I rusted and distressed along time ago and a collection of vintage hooked rug cup coasters that were gifted to me last year.

The wheels start churning and I say...what if.

Then the magic happens and everything's a blur...

Each little character gets their own doughnut cutter pincushion...

I love it when things come together in unexpected ways!

Believe

Believe in yourself...

Believe in your ability to create beautiful things.

Trust, faith, practice, perseverance and a little fairy dust for good measure!

Susan

PS. All the above pieces will be put up for adoption in my up and coming Etsy art show and sale. As well there will be three mice on spools available for purchase...the other two will be the same as the one pictured above. If you should have any questions please email me and I will be happy chat with you.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Hi Everyone...just got home from my Montreal trip and now it's time to get back to work. First line of business...announce the date and time of my Fall sale. I will be heading back to my studio tomorrow to finish some up a few pieces and add some last minute details to them...I am really excited about some of the one of kinds that will be available as well...I will be posting more photos of them by the end of the week. If you should have any questions about this show & sale please feel free to email me.susanpilotto.etsy.com

Friday, September 19, 2014

The original Pennsylvania "Amhearst Floral" hooked rug by John Filker below...my adaptation above (39.5inches by 28inches on Linen)

I started this rug last summer and I finally completed it this August. It was a real challenge in regards to color planning and I tried my best to stay as close to the original as I possible. I love reproducing antique rugs and this is one of my all time favorites!

Numerous times I yanked out portions and redid them till they felt right...you can see in the above photo of the rug that it is different from the photo of my completed rug...little Jasper did his part in inspecting my work to.

One thing I decided early on was to stretch this rug onto a wooden stretcher frame...a frame like you would put a canvas painting on. I found this pattern so abstract and artsy that it deserved to be treated in a different way. Displaying it like a painting seems to elevate it to a higher level.

I had the wooden stretcher custom made (5mm bigger then the edge of the finished rug to account for stretch of the linen), you also need to order canvas pliers which you use to stretch and pull the edges of the rug over the edge of the wooden bars so you can then staple(staple gun) the fabric to the wooden bar. I also made sure that I laid down acid free Matt Board between the stretcher bars and the rug as the wood will eventually eat away the rug if you don't use a protective layer between them.All in all I am very pleased with how it turned out and I may get the hubby to make me a frame for it one day...although I think it looks nice without one.

If you would like to order this
pattern you can go to Black Sheep Wool Designs she has a large selection of antique rug patterns to choose from.

P.S. I am off for a little holiday with the husband...we are Montreal bound and while I am there I want to go to their textile museum and maybe haunt a few antique stores...fun!

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Susan Pilotto is a mixed-media artist who specializes in creating one of a kind miniature animals from recycled wool felt fabric. Susan graduated from Vancouver's Capilano College with a Diploma in Studio Art.